11300 Little Giant Humidity Problems

[MontainBourbons]

Hello everybody, I am on day 25 of my turkey hatch and I have a problem with humidity. I know that it should be at around 60% but with all the chambers full I can only get it to 50%. There is even lots of fog gathering up on the plastic top.
Is there something wrong with the hydrometer? Is it right and I just need to raise it and if so how?

 

[goosiesnougs]

My opinion... And I'm not an expert! But if there is condensation built up on the plastic, it would seem very humid to me. That only happened to me when I put warm water in the wells and again when the chicks started to hatch. I also think that I was using too much humidity during other hatchlings and will use the "dry incubation" method from now on. Lots of info on the subject here (BYC)

 

[goosiesnougs]

Also, if you do need to raise the humidity.. I used clean cut sponges in the well and you could also wet paper towels under the grate. It's not how deep the water it's the surface area.

 

[MontainBourbons]

Thanks I just put a sponge in there and it raised up to 55%. and of course there is lots of condensation.

 

[kuchchicks]

My opinion... And I'm not an expert! But if there is condensation built up on the plastic, it would seem very humid to me. That only happened to me when I put warm water in the wells and again when the chicks started to hatch. I also think that I was using too much humidity during other hatchlings and will use the "dry incubation" method from now on. Lots of info on the subject here (BYC)

x2!


I think you hygrometer may be off. In my experience fog/condensation became heavy on my window when humidity was closer to 80%. There will be SOME condensation on the window, but you should be able to easily see through it. If it were me I think I would remove the sponge.

 

[MontainBourbons]

The room is around 60 degrees so it might be that possibly?

 

[kyzerc]

I have one with fan,its hard to get humidy down,have a still air,hard to get it up,mid 50,s about the best,i don't trust it though because condensation is on glass,tried all tricks from byc,sponges,sponges in bowls,last hatch silkies half hatched,most had to be helped out,membranes dried out.The incubator with fan,all were dead,i was gone in hosp last week,daughter didn't know about water,plus one with fan was on 104 when I got home from surgery.Just loaded it up again,i didn't die,thought I was.

 

[kuchchicks]

The room is around 60 degrees so it might be that possibly?

possibly. I know a temp closer to 70 is ideal so I've been told. Though my house is usually closer to 64.

 

[goosiesnougs]

You can calibrate the hygrometer by putting 2 tsp. Of regular table salt in a soda bottle cap and adding a couple of drops of water (not enough to dissolve it) put your hygrometer in a ziplock Baggie with the cap and after 6-8 hours the hygrometer should read 75... If it doesn't than you know it's off if it reads 70 that you add 5 or 80 you subtract 5 (some are adjustable...do it quickly!!) and so on. Hope this helps, if not for this hatch than your next!